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Hugh de Dutton (c1172-1234)
}} "....Hugh Dutton, don and heir of this Hugh, who married Muriel, daughter of Thomas le Dispencer, lib. C. fol. 139. b. and he had issue Hugh, Thomas, John and Adam, as there followeth; and if so, some of these acts may belong to that Hugh which are ascribed to this Hugh. See lib. C. fol. 164. I. This Hugh Dutton bought Preston nigh Dutton of Henry de Nuers and Julian his wife, reddendo octo solidos annuatim, ad festum sancti Martini, which Randle Blundevill, earl of Chester, confirmed about the reign of king John. Lib. C. fol. 155. o, p. He purchased also the town of Little Legh in fee-farm from Simon son of Osberne, rendering the yearly rent of two marks of silver at the feast of St. Martin. lib. C. fol. 154. f. which rent is yet paid by his heirs to the earl of Derby, as his mannor of Harden, anno Domini 1666. And Roger Lacy, constable of Cheshire and baron of Halton, acquitted this Hugh Dutton de judice de Legha, that is, of finding a judger to serve at Halton for Little Legh yearly, about the reign of Richard the First, or beginning of king John's reign. Lib. C. fol. 154. g. He purchased also the magistracy, or rule and authority, over all the letchers and whores of all Cheshire, granted unto him and his heirs, by John Constable of Cheshire and baron of Halton, as freely as the said John held the same of the earl of Chester saving the right of the said John to him and his heirs; which are the very words of the deed, only rendered by me in English. Lib. C. fol. 154. h. So that he holds it, as it were, under the baron of Halton, who reserves his own right by a special reservation. This privilege over such loose persons was granted first unto Roger Lacy constable of Cheshire, under Richard the First, by Randle, sirnamed Bundevill, earl of Chester, in memory of his good service done to the earl in raising the siege of the Welsh-men, who had beset the earl in his castle of Rothelent in Flintshire: for the constable having got a promiscous rabble of such like persons together, and marching towards the said castle, the Welsh, supposing a great army to be coming, raised their siege and fled. So saith the ancient roll of the barons of Halton. Lib. C. fol. 85. b. Monasticon Anglicanum, 2 pars, pag. 187. This roll saith, that rabble consisted of players, fidlers, and shoe-makers. The deed here toucheth letchers and whores. The privilege and custom used at this day by the heirs of Dutton, is over the minstrelsie and common fiddlers, none being suffered to play in this country without the license of the lord of Dutton, who keeps a court at Chester yearly, on Midsomer-day, for the same, where all the licensed minstrels of Cheshire do appear, and renew their licences; so that the custom seems to have been altered to the fiddlers, as necessary attendant on revelers and bawdy-houses and taverns. And it is to be observed, that those minstrels which are licensed by the heirs of Dutton of Dutton, within the county-palatine of Chester, or the county of the city of Chester, according to their ancient custom, are exempted out of the statute of rogues. 39 Eliz. cap. 4." --The History of the County Palatine and City of Chester: Comp. from Original Evidences in Public Offices, the Harleian and Cottonian Mss., Parochial Registers, Private Muniments, Unpublished Ms. Collections of Successive Cheshire Antiquaries, and a Personal Survey of Every Township in the County; Incorporated with a Republication of King's Vale Royal and Leycester's Cheshire Antiquities, Volume 1 by George Ormerod, Daniel King, William Smith, William Webb (sheriff.), Sir Peter Leycester